468 SUMMARY OF CURRKNT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Epizootic Exophthalmia of Fish.* — C. Terni finds that this disease 

 originates from an intestinal intoxication cansed by Bacillus collogenes^ 

 belonging- to the Mucogenes group. The pathogenic action of the 

 bacillus shows itself in the presence of albuminoid medium, with the 

 production of a quantity of slime and toxins, which in fish creates 

 severe disturbances in the circulation. The lesions of the eyeball and 

 neighbouring parts which occur in this disease of fish explain many 

 facts that are also observed in man in cases of metastatic ophthalmia, 

 and which are regarded as of true auto toxic origin. 



Bacteriological Diagnosis of Rhinoscleroma.t — Schilling found 

 non-virulent diphtheria bacilli in the nasal secretion of a case of ozsina and 

 rhinoscleroma, but never observed the rhinoscleroma bacilli ; an 

 histological examination of the soft palate and subglottic folds showed 

 not only rhinoscleromatous tissue, but rhinoscleroma bacilH resembling^ 

 the pneumobacillus of Friedlander. 



Variation in Pigment-production by Micro-organisms. | — R. 



Caminiti has studied the pigment-production by H. prodit/iosus, Sarcina 

 aurantiaca, B. pijocyaneus, certain sti'eptothrix organisms, and other 

 chromogenic bacteria. The author finds that the intensity of the 

 pigment pioduced will vary directly with the percentage of glycerin 

 present in the medium. 



Specific Bacteria in Ventilating Pipes, etc.§ — W. H. Horrocks 

 has shown by a number of experiments that specific bacteria in sewage 

 may be ejected into the air of ventilation pipes, inspection chambers, 

 drains and sewers, by the bursting of bubbles at the surface of the 

 sewage, by the separation of dried particles from the walls of pipes, 

 chambers and sewers, and probably also by the ejection of minute 

 droplets from flowing sewage. A disconnecting trap prevents the 

 passage of bacteria in sewer air into the house drainage system. An 

 air inlet, even when provided with a mica valve, may be a source of 

 danger when placed at or about the ground level. 



Fixation of Nitrogen by Azotobacter chroococcum.]] — R. Greig 

 Smith has isolated from a nodule of the Blue Lupin, a slime-producing 

 colony which proved to ])e a mixture of l)acteria ; of these the chief 

 slime-producing organism was the Azotobacter chroococcum. The author 

 found that the amount of slime produced was greater, and the fixation 

 of nitrogen quicker and more regular, with the mixed culture than with 

 the pure culture of the Azotobacter. 



Fixation of Nitrogen by Rhizobium leguminosarum.^ — R. Greig 

 Smith finds that races of Rhizobium leffuminosarum can fix atmospheric 

 nitrogen in artificial culture, and that the fixation is coincident with and 

 proportional to the formation of slime ; under conditions that preclude 

 the formation of slime, there is no fixation ; the presence of another 



* Ceutralbl. Bakt. Ref., Ite Abt.,xxxix. (1907) p. 629. 



t Tom. cit., p. 582. % Op. cit., xliii. (1907) p. 753. 



§ Proc. Roy. Soc, Series B, Ixxix. (1907) p. 255. 



II Proc. Linn. Soc. New South ^Yales, xxxi. (1906) p. 616. 



t Tom. cit., p. 608. 



